Vestibular Neuritis Treatment in London, Ontario
If sudden, severe vertigo has left you feeling unsteady, expert in-home and virtual care can help you recover your balance.
When Vertigo Strikes Suddenly
Vestibular neuritis often starts without warning: severe spinning, nausea, and vomiting that can last a day or more and make even lying still feel unsafe. Many people end up in the emergency room during the first attack, unsure of what's happening to them. Once the acute episode passes, a different problem can set in. The dizziness fades, but a lingering unsteadiness, fatigue, and sensitivity to movement can stick around for weeks or months, making it hard to work, drive, or simply move through your day with confidence. Without the right rehabilitation, that in-between feeling of not quite steady can last far longer than it needs to.
What Is Vestibular Neuritis (and Labyrinthitis)?
Vestibular neuritis happens when the vestibular branch of the 8th cranial nerve, the nerve that carries balance information from the inner ear to the brain, becomes inflamed, often after a viral illness. This is also known as Acute Unilateral Vestibulopathy. When the inflammation also affects the hearing portion of the nerve, it's called labyrinthitis, which includes hearing changes that vestibular neuritis does not. The acute symptoms, vertigo lasting at least 24 hours, nystagmus, nausea, and vomiting that worsens with movement, usually improve within days to a few weeks. But some people don't fully compensate on their own, and imbalance or motion sensitivity can persist well beyond the initial illness. The condition results in unilateral vestibular hypofunction, which means less information reaches our brain from the affected side. The good news is that our brain can compensate for this and bring things back into balance.
How We Treat Vestibular Neuritis in London, Ontario
Denise Vandermeulen, BScPT, MS, FCAMPT, is a vestibular physiotherapist who completed her Certificate in Vestibular Rehabilitation through Duke University and the APTA at Emory University in 2022. Vestibular therapy plays a key role in recovery, it encourages your brain to compensate for the affected side through neuroplasticity, rebuilding balance, gaze stability, and comfort with movement.
A thorough assessment of your balance, eye movements, and neurological function to confirm the diagnosis and understand what's affecting you
Individualized exercises to retrain your brain's compensation, reduce motion sensitivity, and improve balance
In-home visits across London, Ontario and region, or virtual appointments for residents anywhere in the province
What to Expect From Vestibular Neuritis Treatment
Here's what a typical course of care looks like, from your first assessment through to lasting recovery.
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We review your history and complete a physical exam, including balance, gaze stability, and neurological testing, as well as infrared video goggle examination of eye movements, to understand how the condition is affecting you.
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Denise builds a personalized program of vestibular exercises that progress as your brain compensates and your symptoms improve.
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We track your recovery, adjust your program as needed, and help you return to the activities you may have stepped back from.
Life After Vestibular Neuritis Treatment
Most people see steady improvement in balance and motion tolerance as their brain adapts, especially with a rehabilitation program guiding the process. It's common to feel frustrated when symptoms linger past the acute illness, so many people are relieved to find that targeted therapy gives them a clear path forward instead of just waiting it out.
Steadier balance and less fatigue from constantly compensating with your eyes
More confidence in busy or visually overwhelming spaces, like grocery stores or crowded rooms
A structured plan for returning to work, driving, and daily activities
Frequently Asked Questions About Vestibular Neuritis
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The acute vertigo usually improves within days to a few weeks, but some people are left with lingering imbalance or motion sensitivity that doesn't resolve without targeted rehabilitation.
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Both involve inflammation of the vestibular nerve, often after a viral illness. Labyrinthitis also affects the hearing portion of the nerve, so it can come with hearing changes that vestibular neuritis does not.
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Yes, especially during the acute phase. Medical treatment may be appropriate early on, and it's important to rule out other causes of sudden, severe vertigo before starting vestibular rehabilitation.
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Both in-home and virtual appointments are available. An in-person assessment is recommended initially for the most accurate diagnosis, since some symptoms and eye movement findings are easier to assess directly, but it is certainly possible to receive fully virtual care for this condition.
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It's uncommon for vestibular neuritis to recur in the same way, but the balance and motion sensitivity issues it leaves behind can persist if they aren't specifically rehabilitated. Sometimes people experience a return of some symptoms even after recovery due to decompensation, sometimes following an illness or other event. Returning to their vestibular exercise program is often helpful to bring them back to their baseline.
Ready to Get Your Balance Back?
You don't have to keep waiting it out. Book a free 15-minute consultation to talk through your symptoms and find out if vestibular rehabilitation is the right next step for you.
Reference: Rizk, H. & Shah, S. Labyrinthitis and Vestibular Neuritis. Vestibular.org.